Shadow Hunters

because Sucaeva is always prepared

Sucaeva said I shood stop pacing and write. He had sum paper on him for sum reeson and made me sit down. He seems more relaxed tho since I’ve been staring at this for an hour.

Anyway, we found Miria!! I’m reely glad I made him agree to check the karavan. She didn’t look happy to see me at first and we got in a fight and she slapped me so I slapped her back. She had no reeson to be angry anyway! It’s not like I new she made sum deal with that vampire.

Altho I told her it was a dream, I’m scared Sucaeva was right and it reely happened. Why else wood I dream he had Raven’s Tooth? Miria got mad but I got outta talking about it with her for now.

But I’m still confused where she was going? She said she was going to Lenth Lencia but Shira said they were going the wrong way. And then we all decided to go and set up camp sumwhere for sum reeson, but I don’t care because Miria went adventuring with us again! She made me ride on the horse with her, tho. I’ve never ridden a horse. It was nice, tho, sitting and talking with her. We had to leave the horses tho when we finally got to the place, and Miria had a map of a cave she picked up from sum ded guy. The cave was full of kristals. SajaSaget Sajeter came with us and so did his father. I reely don’t know what to think of him, but I said sumthing bad and didn’t apologise. I shood reely do that.

Ok, I’m back. I forgot he’s Tex now.

Anyway, we got in a fight in the cave, and Sajeter and Miria kept fighting even tho I said the cave was gonna fall. And it did, and we fell into a dark, dark place. I couldn’t see anything and I was reely scared I died again.

But I woke up in the Astral Sea or that’s what Sucaeva said it was. We were all blobs of light. Miria was the first to change back but she was a Halfling and started crying and complaning about being comon. I reely wanted to punch her. Sucaeva came back next and he was an Eladrin. Miria kept complaning and finally I hugged her even if I wanted to punch her, and I got a body again. It felt weird and when I looked I was an elf..and male.

That was unplesent. We were all naked too which didn’t bother me but I think it upset Shira. She ran and hid in a bush. Then Sajeter came back only he was a male Halfling with Tex’s face. And he started talking like Tex too. I was happy to see him but I reely wish Tex wood let us know it was her whenever she shows up.

Shira didn’t want a body. She stayed in the bushes and cried about not wanting to be a man. Sucaeva finally touched her and she became a Shifter! Well, a Longtooth, anyway. And Miria kept crying about being comon, and I was a man, and none of us were reely happy ecept maybe Sucaeva. The man who woke us said we’d get used to it and kept saying things about past lifes, but we never got used to it. Insted we tried to find sum guy to send us back, and on the way we found the High Ansestor.

He was still a dwarf but he was drunk and smelly. Shira talked with him and he told us how the world was a lie but I was reely confused. I knew being a man was a lie but I couldn’t tell what he was talking about. And Miria wasn’t talking to me, I think because I was taller than her.

Sum guys took the High Ansestor away and we kept trying to find that other guy but we found Gobo! He was an ogre and he told us how to get power from our past lifes. So the next day we went with him and sum teeflings to attack sum place and get our powers.

Inside we got separated and we ran into an old enemy of Sucaeva and Miria. He trapped us in a room with a mashin and while Sucaeva tried to get power Miria and I fought the Elf guard. We were terrible tho and Miria almost died and I couldn’t hit anything. Eventualy Sucaeva became a giant snake and cut the Elf in half. Shira healed Miria and then we got our powers, too. Only Tex and Miria got hurt because the mashin exploded so Sucaeva and Shira healed them and I carried Miria. Alarms were going off and Gobo fell, but we managed to escape to the sewers and back to Gobo’s house.

There were Elf guards there too and they killed Gobo’s wife. I set Miria down and scouted ahead and sum guards were trying to kill another Halfling. We saved her and Miria and Tex woke up. Sucaeva knew the Halfling but I didn’t hear anything they talked about because Miria kissed me for a reely long time. I think I understand why Sucaeva and Shira run off so much now. But will it be the same now I’m a girl again?

I heard enough to know the Halfling said the strange world was a lie and it was dying. So we discussed how to stop it and escape but Miria said something reely strange that made me happy but kinda embarrassed, and I’m not sure how to ask her about it now. But finally decided to fight and we had to go back to the place we ran from so we could kill someone called the Arkitect. We had to fight thru a lot of guards and even ran into Volgar. We cut thru him and finally met the Arkitect.

He was a black dragon sitting on a throne in a cave. Thinking back it was weird that he was in a cave when we were in a building but too late now. With our new abilities from the mashin we charged him at all once. He grew ginormus and nearly filled the entire cave. I’ll never say it out loud but seeing him like that I was reely scared. A small green dragon killed us not long ago, and we’d finally all gotten together again, even Tex was there. But it was fight and go home or just die so we rushed him. Sucaeva Tex and I got caught in a blast of acid, and every move hurt, but we were relentless. Shira even set him on fire for us, and I tried to cut him deep enough that it wouldn’t heal but I wasn’t able to peerce his skin.

Sucaeva was bloodied and we were all battered but we finally managed to fell him. But as he died he told Sucaeva we were fools and this was the real world. We all knew he was lying but now I’m not so sure.

We left his cave and found the Halfling almost dead with scores of guards lying around her. She told us the only way back was to find a kristal and stab ourselves in the heart with it at the same time. She passed and we went to find the cave. On the way Tex kissed me. I reely don’t know what to think about her. She kept saying we were sisters but now she’s a man again and I have no idea. We can’t be sisters if she’s a man.

But we’re all ourselves again otherwise! Tex is a drow male but I’m a Shifter woman again! As soon as we entered the cave with the kristal we got our real bodies back. But we didn’t have much time to think about anything reely because the cave started to shake like before. I looked at Sucaeva and he nodded, and we all raised pieces of the kristal. I saw Sucaeva and Shira kiss and say farewells to each other earlier as went into the cave, so at the last minute I told Miria I loved her and kissed her. Then the walls started shaking and groaning and Sucaeva counted to three and then everything went dark.

We woke up here with sum humans and teeflings. They said we were trapped but I don’t believe them. We will definitely, definitely find a way out. But I’m glad at least that we’re all together. If we’d been separated again…

I am the Assistant Supervisor in the machine room, sub basement C. I have collected data from system user Tex about his methods and have compiled this report.

Unlike the other subjects, Tex does not feel strongly that the Old World is the real world, or vice-versa. The subject has signs of instability that he sees in his mind as being an “essence mage”, or as he puts it “going with the energy flows”.

Subject entered the real world illegally using a monk, although the actual sorcerer usage was still in play at the time. We are working on fixing this glitch, but the subject clearly now believes he can ride not only common energies such as lightning but also “life” energy.

Subject regained understanding slowly, in fact the other subjects deduced who he was before he did. His heart rate increased considerably being among them again, and when he became aware of being a halfling male, he felt none of the common reactions others usually have, such as panic, depression or erection. In the Old World, Tex was a half-changeling and this may explain this phenomenon.

Tex went willingly wherever the others went, including a break-in led by the dreaded ogre Gobo. He acted to get power from the machine illegally, gave up and tried to protect Miria and Syral, then quickly returned to an attempt to siphon power from the machine. The eladrin Sucaeva eviscerated Team Supervisor.

Miria and Tex both showed a loss of simple motor skills, and in fact had enough feedback from the machine to knock them out. Shera the fox girl carried him out of the area and escaped capture, while tough-guy Syral ran off with little girl Miria.

In summation, from what information I can gather about his actions: Tex was happiest with his friends, Shera, Miria, Sucaeva and Syral, and would travel through anything thrown at him just to feel that one energy: Friendship.

Clearly Tex forgot that you can buy bottled friendship at the corner store for 300 creds.

the final entry

Dear reader, I have been trapped all night by this tormented drow, a being that possesses many faces, many minds, and many kills that has fixated on the headless corpse in this broken Inn and wishing to replace the head with…mine.

Well at times like this, I make an exit either stage left, or out the window. There is no stage left, so I crash through already broken glass hastening the drow’s approach. It is raining and cold. I cast a spell to veil my appearance and confuse the drow – the image of the headless half-elf corpse. When Tex sees me from the second floor the red eyes widen, and I feel winds start above the window and swoop down over me, bringing shingles and ripping the wood around the window. The drow turns back into the house to look for me. My veil has worked, and I stand to start my run into the woods!

Sadly my leg won’t respond as it should due to the fall, I summon reserved energy to try to get to the woods nearby. I trip as the ball of acid and lightning barely miss me. A small stump of a tree has ended my life…

It glides in cloak and black skin from the window to the grass below but not yet upon me. The stump however may be what saves my life as it is a marker, to show where the body of the wizard and his son are buried. Now the grave has been torn into by the drow blast and the body is not but bones. What is left of the wizard’s forehead should have no markings, but a red glow emanates-magic, magic active from the grave! It halts Tex, but something seems to try to raise the drow’s dagger for another blast.

My move is to my best weapon, my mind, as I peace together the clues. “With apologies Tex, but my head would not be able to change shape like you mother’s did, nor would my eyes glow with any colors chosen. You felt it in your heart that this person was not just your caretaker briefly, but your whole life…Lal.” The arm of the drow lowers as I continue “She hesitated but finally followed you to Stormpeak, and if there was a real Fie Vemaru, the man you have no reason to get so angry about, she replaced him and argued with Gendarr, perhaps in front of you. You must have seen the same love that she always showed in changeling, drow, or half-elf form. You sided with Gendarr, and she went mad, killing herself. I surmise that Gendarr had pity and returned her to the only place she was free, this old Inn where she shared her happiest moments with you.” Now in an out-of-breath final gasp I tell the drow “you need to re-establish what she had hoped for you, a simple and free life. Let your demons go.”

Dear reader, the words timed perfectly with a lightning flash, not from the drow but from the sky, and for the moment I could see it: a feminine imp of red over the drow’s left shoudler. It was waving a finger at me as if to imply it was not of demon ilk, but of devil’s work. The glow from the wizard was a still powerful familiar. No doubt related to Lal’s madness as well as the drow’s.

I raised my hand, asking for the dagger in the hand of the drow. Her hair was matted down from the rain and shoulders were beginning to slump. The drow began to buckle under the weight of the revelation. It raised the hand and I could not tell if it was going to point at me, or hand me the dagger, but it fell from powerless hands to the graveside. How I went about unsummoning the skeleton’s familiar is not something I wish to write about. These are the hands of a writer, a dancer, a romance artist, and what happened there…well, rest assured the drow was freed.

*Tex, I leave this, my only copy of our story in your hands. You have reclaimed much of your speech in the few short days we have had together, and I am sure you are in a hurry to see your “naive” party again. I swear that if I hear of you doing anything that goes against what Lal fought so hard for, the world will hear about it! Ha ha ha. He-hey!

No rest for the weary.

I remember when I first set out with Karal and began my quest to expand my powers. I remember my lofty goal of single handily protecting the natural balance from aberrations while pursuing the hated necromancers who caused me so much pain. I had a single purpose and a clear path. My how things have changed. I knew things would be different when I started my new life as an adventurer, but I never imagined myself riding in an airship, with an entirely new group of companions, or being enamored with a beautiful Gnome. Syral and Shira have definitely made life interesting. Syral has taken a set against our newest “companion” Sir Niles Hansen, why exactly, I don’t know. All, I know is that she won’t go near him even when we are being attacked by dragon knights thousands of feet in the air. I suppose I should try to explain who he is (even though I met him but a day earlier)and clarify recent events.

After the army of General Zitherune was thwarted, the Shadow Hunters were praised as the “Heroes of Outlook” (again), and were awarded with an astral diamond necklace, a new house in the Stonehammer district, as well as the love and adoration of the citizenry. However, our victory was blighted by the sudden departure of our companion Miria. Syral took it pretty hard. Shira did her best to comfort her, but she is still hurting over the loss and wants nothing more than to go to Lencia and find her. I wonder if there was anything more than just friendship between them. In any case, I became ill and had to confine myself to my room while Syral and Shira took care of some business in town, found Punmba in the sewers, and also held a tournament to recruit new members into the Shadow Hunters. I do not know all of the details, but we wound up with a Dwarf fighter named Thordrin son of Bordrin, and a rather zealous paladin of Bahamut. I maintain, much to Syral’s chagrin, that he is not evil, merely a zealot, whose actions done in the name of his god may seem extreme and almost evil to others…but I digress. Before I had a chance to even learn their names, before we had been given even a week’s respite after defeating an army, an airship arrived in search of the Shadow Hunters. We answered the call and went with Kruric to investigate. When we arrived at the landing site, we found a very damaged looking boat with a green-skinned individual standing before it. He was a Githzerai named To-kit who had come to find us so that we could help fend off an invasion by the Githyenki. We did not have time debate or say no because he said that he was being pursued and so we could not risk any harm to the city. We got in the airship, found our other companions and then headed off to the south where the fortress of Akmad awaited us. I was stationed in the crow’s nest since I am the natural lookout, and not too long after we left Outlook were we attacked by two githyanki riding dragons. I sounded the alarm and we all readied for battle (except for Niles since he had fallen ill). The dragons, one black, and one green, charged us and we let loose our weapons upon them. I shot hawks of flame from the crow’s nest, Syral threw her dagger with staggering precision, and Shira fired at them with a ballista mounted at the front (with limited success, but I blame the machine). We took down one rider fairly quickly, but the other evaded our blows. Then the fight took a nasty turn. Shira was quite injured, as was Thordrin, and then the dragon charged and knocked Syral off of the ship. I saw this whole new world around me begin to shatter. My love was injured and my good friend was falling. I only had seconds to think. Confident in Shira’s abilities, and seeing that the rider was quite injured himself, I decided to do something crazy. I jumped down from my post and dove off the side of the ship and flew (in a manner of speaking) towards Syral. I caught her after a few seconds and used my magic ring to slow our decent so that we landed safely in the trees. I could only hope that Shira fared just as well. I was half right as it turned out. When the ship came back to find myself and Syral, upon our return, we learned that Shira was knocked unconscious, but thankfully, Thordrin knocked the rider out of his saddle and saved her, which I am profoundly grateful for. I have grown quite attached to Shira, to say the least, and I do not want think about what I would do if anything happened to her.

We only had a couple of hours to rest and look over the ship. We found out details about the size of the force attacking the fortress and that there was an infiltrator and assassin there. We used To-kit’s knowledge of the terrain to formulate a battle plan for when we arrive. I probably shouldn’t say “we” since I was only told of the plan after the fact by Syral as I was back in the crow’s nest. I finish writing these words as I believe we are getting close to our destination. I fear that more dragon riders will be waiting for us.

It's time for bed. Can you count the unfinished thoughts?

He is evil! He’s just using his position as an excuse to kill people! At least the vampire was honest. And argh he’s all Bahamut this and judge that and I am better than all of you anodnaodoaua GRAAAAH!!

He didn’t even come to help when I was pushed off a gods damned airship.

I don’t think Sucaeva and Shira believe me about how evil he is. But I don’t trust him and I won’t let him hurt them. And as much as I wanna go, I don’t wanna go to Lencia if it means bringing him. What if he decides Miria needs to be “judged” because she was in love with Mordred? It’s not like he was a vampire then.

I’ll kill him if he even tries to hurt her.

But she might not even be in Lencia, although I’m really really sure she is. Would she even be happy to see me?

But what if Mordred did, um. I’m sure he didn’t—why bite me if he could kill me, but then again that’s stupid, isn’t it? because obviously he wants me to lead him to Miria which I would do if I went to Lencia, right? He couldn’t tell me how a vampire tracks but what if he can track me here?

I can’t lead him right to Miria. I won’t.

…Maybe if I don’t sleep he can’t follow me, since I’m not dreaming! ‘Cept how’d he get into my dream in the first place since I never saw him before then… No, definitely, no sleeping. And if he says anything, I’ma stab him in the eye.

“Galiya!” A happy Sajiter leaps over boulders through a now thinning cloud of dust to the spot where a female sits, her body showing fatigue from battle. From this point words are limited, but a hand on the shoulder and meaningful gazes shared bring the two githzerai to a sense of well-being quickly. Galiya looks up to the overhang where large boulders were released as a defense of the Akmad fortress.

When the battle began, two airships sent from the foul Emperess Blacketh had landed and troops were on the ground quickly. The boulder defense was not working and Sajiter had gone to investigate after being assured elder Odas would be fine.

The boulder defense had been compromised and githyanki were posted around it. Sajiter was pushed for action as the battle raged below, but he felt the githyanki woman was waiting for something. A third airship, the Conqueror had just arrived.

Whispering the need for his arrows to fly true, he prepared to take a high-point on the boulders and pick-off as many as possible. He held his action when a graceful razorclaw, a dark axe-wielding warrior on horse, an confident elf and a smiling gnome exited the Conqueror and quickly met the githyanki in battle. Soon his arrows would lend aid.

The Shadow Hunters had arrived, and they had the resolve to do what had to be done. Even though the boulder’s would surely end the lives of some githzerai, a war has losses you can’t stop. Strange symbols burst into the air from Shira the gnome, signaling simultaneous release of massive stone that fell on the battle below.

Quickly the Hunters boarded the Conqueror and the airship was met in air-to-air combat with a green dragon with rider. Sajiter took aim and had a direct hit, but it barely slowed the rider. The battle grew long, with both sides at the brink of defeat at any given moment. Reserve githyanki arrived with demon soldiers sending dread through the party, but then Sajiter was able to knock the dragon into a spiraling descent. Hansen the paladin took the brunt of damage, from the crow’s nest Sucaeva the druid guided the battle and guided hawks of fire to disrupt the rider. Shira the ballista captain proved her skill with the massive weapon with multiple direct shots. Syral who seemed uncomfortable with her paladin complicated the military strategy of the enemy with her roguish approach to battle.

The dragon finally fell, the airship was safe, and so too was Akmad. Galiya looked to calm Satijer more with talk that was not so serious. "Well what should we name the airship Akmad has acquired?

“How about the Contemplator?” and small laughter is shared between the two.

The best of intentions

Syral stomped into her room and dropped her bags and cloak to the floor. That arrogant bastard! Ugh! why did Shira even agree to let him tag along?! Acting like he knew everything about everything and lording over them all.

Articles of clothing flew across the room as she stomped about. She needed to calm down, needed to vent, needed…a bath. Yes, she most definitely needed a nice, warm bath. Her hair was matted with filth, and the fine hairs all over her body were so covered in gook that they really did resemble fur.

Finding a bath in the new house—why did they even have a new house anyway?—wasn’t too difficult. She sighed happily at the sight of the bath and tried to scrub most of the grime away as it filled. Steam made her job easier, and soon enough she was able to lower herself into the hot water all the way up to her nose. Slowly but surely her muscles relaxed as she paddled around blowing bubbles just below the surface. It really was a very nice bath. Big enough to move around comfortably, even if she’d been sharing it with someone else—

Syral quickly submerged, her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she shook her head and scratched her fingers roughly through her hair. She really was filthy. No time for daydreaming. And honestly, Pumba had better appreciate what they went through for him! It wasn’t every day she’d follow a companion down into the sewers—

She burst up through the surface with a gasp, the sound of water echoing in the room as it rained down on the stone floors. Really, she was spending much too much time in the bath. She trudged to the edge and pulled herself up, shivering a bit at the cold and ignoring the feel of half-washed hair against her back. Her footsteps echoed as she padded over to her towel and clean shirt, and if she dried herself off a little roughly, well, she was cold and in a hurry to leave.

The remnants of Miria’s things lay in the corner, ready to be seen as she opened the door. She kept her eyes carefully trained on the ground as she shut the door behind her, and artfully picked her way across the messy, clothes-strewn floor to her bed. A cool breeze whistled through the open window and she sighed as she shut it.

‘Look into your heart,’ the paladin had said. Syral flopped down on the bed and growled. As if he knew anything. And saying she couldn’t kill a vampire!

Syral rolled onto her side and curled up, the blanket clutched in her fists. “You don’t know anything,” she muttered through clenched teeth. Shira or Sucaeva would probably say she was being childish, and they’d be right, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

And who knew; maybe he meant well. Goodness knew she couldn’t keep her feelings in check, and if she was honest with herself, she really hadn’t been able to kill that vampire. But all he had to do was look at her with that calm smile and she wanted to bite him. Her hairs already started to prickle at the memory as her fangs bit into her bottom lip. He had such nerve! They didn’t even need him! She wasn’t just going to sit back and give up Miria’s place—

She pushed herself up and off the bed hard enough to scratch the floorboards and started digging through her discarded clothes. The small pouch lay half-hidden beneath her cloak, and she quickly grabbed it to her chest. The mask pressed against her through cloth and shirt, and the faint crinkling of paper let her know the letters were safe.

Satisfied, she crawled back into bed, curled around the small pouch, and squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to sleep.

_

The room was bitter cold. Syral sat up and reached for her daggers, only to encounter bare skin; she was still in her night shirt. She scanned the dimly lit room for any signs of an enemy, but nothing stirred. The hair at the nape of her neck stood on end, though, and she carefully slid off the bed, crouched low to the ground, and reached for her daggers lying atop her cloak. The feel of cold metal calmed her, and she sighed.

A cold laugh echoed hauntingly through the room and she jumped up onto all fours to stare at the massive figure at her window. He was pale as death, a black cloak draped over his armored frame, and she hissed as recognition hit. How had he found them?

“Let me in, child” he said softly, and his voice sent chills up her spine. She clutched her daggers tighter, ready to fling them at a moment’s notice. His red eyes caught hers. “I want to know where she is.”

“Never,” she spat, back arched and teeth bared. Her shifted form begged to be released. “I’m not stupid.” She hadn’t intended fighting him without learning at least a little about vampires, and she would never give away Miria.

His smile widened, baring white fangs. “You will submit, mortal.”

Syral threw her dagger at him, only for the blade to be repelled and sent back to her hand. He remained just beyond the open window, his cruel smile taunting. Syral paced back and forth, glaring at the pale face she couldn’t look away from. Each pacing arc brought her closer to the window.

“You can’t resist,” he said again, his hand beckoning. “Invite me.” Syral shook her head and tried to close her eyes.

“No! I know about you. Miria said—” She clamped her mouth shut, and his smile turned predatory.

“Miria? Ah yes, my lovely Miria. You want to fight me as she did? Shall I tell you how I broke her?”

“Shut up!” Syral charged the vampire only to be repelled herself. She crashed into the floor as he laughed, and still she couldn’t break his gaze.

“She didn’t even try to fight. She gave herself up willingly. Like a common whore.”

Syral flung her daggers at his face and he laughed again as they flew harmlessly back. “I’ll fight you! I’ll kill you for her!”

“You can’t kill me. You are as weak as her.”

The paladin’s voice echoed his and she screamed in rage. The fallen paladin’s soulless eyes were haunting. “I will!”

“You can’t even reach me.”

“Because you’re a coward! Come in here and I’ll—!” Syral’s eyes widened in shock as the realization of what she said hit her. But realization came too late, and the vampire stood before her in her room, his hands cold as ice as he crushed her throat.

_

Syral woke with a scream and clutched at her neck. Her skin was smooth and unbroken—if cold—beneath her fingers, and she curled up in a ball as she hugged herself.

“Just a dream. It was just a dream…!” She repeated it over and over like a mantra, willing it to be true. It had to be true!

She clung to the covers and shivered, unable and unwilling to sleep, and unaware of the chill breeze that entered through her slightly open window.

For Military Eyes Only

To: General Stone

The so called “Heroes of Outlook” continue to remain a blight upon the city. Just like a headless chicken they loll around Outlook behaving somewhat erratically. Such activities include opening cheese shops, touring sewers and making alliances with dark rat keepers. The disappearance of Lady Miria continues to be a mystery. Our best intelligence suggests that she was eaten by a mind flayer during a covert mission to something called “The Far Realm”. Such is the life of an “adventurer”.

Down in numbers the remaining members enacted a tournament to help them recruit a suitable replacement for their dimwitted, headstrong and morally dubious member. Of course, being “heroes”, they didn’t provide medics and much havoc was unleashed upon the populace. Thankfully, nobody died. They did however recruit new member “Thordrin, son of Bordrin”. He seems like a capable combatant though somewhat slow. He’ll fit right in. Later that day, working together, they slew the dreaded baby-eating monster of elf-town.

We’ve also gotten word that the “heroes” have been trying to hand choose the successor of Grand Ancestor Durkirk. Gods preserve us! Is there nothing that their hands cannot corrupt. The very latest reports just indicated that they are now approaching a mysterious flying ship that is hovering above the city. Perhaps it will take them away for good. Praise Moradin!

Curse

During our conversation together, this mad person has slowly told me her past in efforts to find out if she is evil or not. The bodies are buried and hidden everywhere around this old Inn and would surely damn her to evil at first glance. Is it merely circumstance that caused her to end up like this?

She begins explaining her curse, not allowing me to break the conversation, and therefore keeping me from getting closer to an exit. She speaks as if she was the half-elf Adasunu, whom I met briefly before, and I fear is now stuffed in the armoire at the back of the room. “You see, I met Tex when she walked up to the outpost, she had been travelling with her mother, Lal, away from the Underdark towards the Questless forest.” The drow blinks in memory, her pink tear appearing for a moment, but she acts manly and brushes it aside quickly, and I finally know the name of my captor. “Her mother had drowned in a river after losing her footing. Tex tried to kill herself to follow her mother, out of despair, but as she jumped to the waters, a wind pushed her back to the riverbed. Poor dear thinks this was the first time she died, but it was just an early appearance of her magical ability, gods be praised.”

“I took her in, and although I asked her not to show her magic, she would sprout an arc of lightning in some of the most awkward times.” Tex in her Adasunu mannerisms is slumping to the floor, sitting next to the black burn mark that empahsizes the story. “Her mother also told her to hide her talents, and…maybe she knew her daughter was magic. If I were to guess, Lal was taking Tex into the forest, where magic is not rejected outright, but frowned upon. Arcanists often stayed at the inn to plan their arguements.” the Tex side of her speaks “That was a boy being to brash, he had to die for what he said to me! His father died to pay the mistake in full as any drow will tell you!” I quickly have lost Adasunu. Even more so since the Innkeeper’s uniform burns off her shoulders, she stand bare in front of me, and whatever curse she has, well, it looks worth it. This beauty only adds to her prison of person, where no one seems to hear her: drow, arcane, doppelganger, orphan, unable to speak coherently and a female’s beauty all keep her from connecting with someone to help her. I know the forest and they do make arcanists feel unwanted, so she must have ended her journey at this Inn, only a few steps from her and her mother’s goal.

I ask her about the curse and she answers more focused. “Adasunu was lying down in bed, when I returned, sick. The elves in the forest could be heard waiting to ambush me, I left to find a cure for Adasunu, in fact the Hunters and I came across the cure all the time. But then I remembered the portal of fey magic. This portal caused pain to my gnome ally, but turned goblins into fey women and if I was an elf, the other elves would surely help Addy. At the time, my body was stripped of my changeling heritage, and I was stuck in male drow, form, but I had a decent chance the portal would turn me into something not drow. It didn’t work and I also could no longer speak well. Guess I’m closer to a goblin than a gnome. I returned to find Adasunu had gotten out of bed, but he really shouldn’t have in his condition, have you seen him?”

Adasunu

This drow creature is humming a tune now. It feels like a tune for a child, but coming from this abomination, I find it quite warped and chilling. Her speech problem even appears in hums.

The drow has made her way to a corner armoire. It is deformed and splintering, it houses things I wish to see, yet feel might do the world better simply being set to flame. The sentence was meant to be vague, for I knew not if I meant her brain or the armoire.

“When I arrived in this place, there were no people, except for seasonal travellers. I guess the better description is `those with no home`. The Oak`s Inn gave me shelter. Adasunu was a tall handsome half-elf that studied sorcery like me. He even was a sorcer of storms. I had found the safety I craved after losing my mother.” She doesn’t blink at the fact that her mother died. I feel in my gut dear reader that she had something to do with her mother’s death and that Adasunu is in the armoire rotting. Where are these Shadow Hunters to help me?

“Years past but sometimes the two of us, my adopted father and I, would get a decent customer at the Inn. The elves in the woods had become familiar with our little team, and never bothered us. Once or twice they offered to seek help for us. That was nice of them, but we had heart and happiness, so we never needed a larger staff for the Inn.” You know and I know that was not what they meant, the help needed here is law, or counsel.

She pricks her ear up as if she heard something downstairs. It worries me. “Ah, do we have guests, or is Adasunu back from hunting? Be a dear and see who it is.” As I walk down the stairs, my thought is of continuing the walk, getting far away from this mad person. The Inn is empty and I look at more clearly. This place must not have been in service for years. The paint is stripped from the walls, windows broken, and wood warped by weather. Why did she think he was here? I return, but I stay at the door’s entrance. The armoire in the corner has been open and she stands before me in an Inn keeper’s uniform, wrinkled and ill-fitting. “Welcome customer, my name is Adasunu. Are you a friend of Tex?” Her voice is deeper but with the same poor speaking. I am seeing the poorest bluff ever performed by a doppelganger and it makes me…concerned.

“I do know your adopted daughter sir. She is a fine example of charm and femininity. How she isn’t taken yet is beyond me.” These words flow easily, for that is my ability. She looks at me like a concerned father. I seemed to have lost this ‘Tex’ and don’t have a clue if this ‘Adasunu’ character of hers is more of a danger.

“You are kind, I saw her a few weeks past, and she was stricken with a horrible curse. Would that she meet more gentle people like you, I would…” Horror of horrors! This is a man I fought with during my last trek to this Inn. As I said, I have been poor and had to make due at familar spots. This spot was known to me, for I had to fight off bandits just to keep this happy half-elf from succumbing to sheer numbers. We had a very skilled Dwarf of the Raven Queen with us, but no lasting partnership was made. I had met this changeling before!

The drow speaks, mannerisms are more confident “I apologize, my thoughts are on how I abandoned her in her time of need. If you see her, tell her to forgive me and I will do my best for her. May I share the story of her curse to unburden myself of guilt?”

“Yes of course, but let’s return downstairs” where the quick exits are plenty.

Part 8- Stride

Dear reader, I don’t want to do this anymore. The whatever-it-is is killing my libido muse. I can’t make it work anymore and I don’t think it is the wine. The changeling drow is quite happy with my unhappiness at the moment.

“Have you ever been so desperate to please that you turned on your ally for the respect of another?” the drow is speaking so I guess this means I should write some more. I answered that I was once very hungry, but now as my carriage awaits I a…a…ah to the nine hells with it! I am a poor cheap bard dear reader. I haven’t made decent coin for years and I followed this drow for hopes of fame and fortune. Forgive my lies, I no longer wish to invest in them.

“Yes, I have turned on a friend” I tell her “My pet dragonling and I were starving and we started to take the forms of cooked chicken legs and sweets in each other’s eyes. He would have ripped my neck out for sure until I remembered I could just unsummon him.”

The drow gave pause to measure my stupidity, but you had to be there dear reader, I was out of my mind with starvation. The changeling or drow spoke again “My master had many plans, which as I said before lacked interest to me, but apart from myself, his razorclaw slave was a key weapon or tool in his plots.” The drow seems to be lost in memory now, and not speaking. I welcome the break in translation since it really can’t speak well at all.

“The razorclaw was named Stride. I met him and was jealous that he pulled so much attention from my master, but as time passed, I found his council to be helpful and as selfish as I am, he didn’t mind focusing on my life. Had he not been a slave…” at this moment your bard started to feel sick again “Do not besmirch my memory Gaston! Stride had heart, and love, and desire for peace when chained among animals as a slave! This is depth that I will never achieve! I would have been his follower, his acolyte, his son had not my upbringing taught me he was beneath me!” She gestures!

Blinded in darkness I was! I could not see for the drow had filled the room with clouds of darkness, yet I could feel the singe of lightning cross my brow and body at close range, so I did not move. How foolish of me to follow a pretty girl, only to end up on death’s door. The clouds parted, and the drow was holding herself arms crossed. His form, it’s form…

“Pardon me, dear bard, I was taught this style of anger communication by a fighter and it is growing on me. I had much preferred bluffs and other forms of trickery to the direct use of emotion. Now, my master told Stride to change his religion, to form a bond with the local temple. A symbol was made of Melora with a blackbird inside. Stride was captured by monsters deep in the mountain. This frustrated the followers of the Raven Queen since the follower was just granted to them, but master seemed pleased. I was told to become Stride and when I had forgotten small details my master corrected me. I made a good razorclaw. I was told that one day I would be on the surface again. Was I to be thrown aside? No, he was planting me, and I had purpose, but wasn’t told what it was. Stride seemed to have more going on in his head in the last days I saw him. I was only interested in myself of course so I never questioned the slave about his worries.”

The drow is now going upstairs, I follow to keep in earshot, because I think she forgot she was talking to me. The stairs creak and that creak echoes through the eerie room. “Master told me that he had plans for travelers who had been in the great hall for some days. I knew the naïve party. They had brought poor Fie Vemaru to his death. Write that down, Fie’s death was the Shadow Hunter’s fault not mine.” I remembered her saying the wench party was powerful, but now I’m quite happy, if things go awry, the Shadow Hunters may appear and saveassist save me! Is there a summoning word I wonder?

“Plans were in motion, I was kept up on Stride’s actions by my master, but I don’t know how he got such information: Stride was now able to become a large cat, He had made ties to the party members, he had made a small profit. Word-for-word recounts were given to me. My next act was to wait for Stride to show. He would fill me in on key emotional and unseen elements and I would switch places as master had wanted, Stride’s future was unknown to me and I cared little.” The drow sits in a chair upstairs in a dusty cobwebbed bedroom deep in thought.

“Stride finally appeared as a large feline, chaos ran through the streets, then when we saw his face in razorclaw form he was full of life and it was easy to tell that the party had made him feel reborn. He had trouble bowing to his master in that moment of zeal. I was unable to look at my master at the moment, both out of fear and I was killing those orcs that had followed Stride. To others, my lightning arc was faster than thought, but for me it was as slow as mushroom jam, I saw arrows flying from my master. I pushed my arc through Stride. I felt many things: pleasure that master would focus on me, happiness that Stride was truly free, anger that he was happy before me, excitement to steal his life and friends, guilt for snuffing out the light of my only counsel.” The changeling drow now looks at me, but I look away. “I was given his clothing, and his symbol of Melora, which he may have abandoned much earlier than that. I felt more tantalized at the thought of becoming a good person the easy way.”

I am looking out the window, realizing it was facing the forest and the back of the Inn where the drow had informed me bodies lay. “Am I to take it that Stride is back there?”

The drow looked at me with some amusement “He was no orc, a single blast by me and some arrows? I was ‘killed’ by my master as well but I still breathe. No, he is buried much deeper. He is buried in intrigue and plots and lies and the dealings of…” Her expression changes as if she crossed some line, lilts her head in a look of ‘what’s done is done’ and walks to a closet. The closet has loose door and bloats as if overstuffed, I think I see a humanoid shape in it.

The second time the sorcerer died

Dear reader, the madness of this moment fills the room. I see the drow woman pace in and out of the darkness, a leg that reaches heavens he-hey! passes into view then a small glint of her dagger reflects off her belt. This confessed murderer is agitated at her own disability to speak. I get hints that my captor? lover is quite intelligent but trapped under some curse. I make a note to give her my ‘kiss of the alligator’, which once pulled a princess out of a deep sleep and I would even say my kiss gave her a shiny glow.

I find out that she is a sorceress and she commands any form of spark that she needs. I ask her to demonstrate for her Lover and she stepped forward to her wine glass. She not only chilled the wine with a passing of her hand, but it is now sparkling! As she walked away I started to show her my prowess with the flute, but she then showed me another of the sparks she could produce. Down one flute Distracted because of her display for me, I focused on the paper and went back to writing for her.

She tells me that in Stormpeak, a mountain not far from our Inn, her master tried to kill her. She tells me she traveled with a party naïve to her true form (as of this writing I’m not sure what that means) to a castle deep underground. The party was a group of wenches sirens that were controlled by a lucky guy an elf named Sucaeva. My sorceress told me that this Sucaeva was her pick for a new master, a necessity since the old one was trying to kill her, however the elf never accepted the role. She didn’t give up, and after battling a green dragon she found the gem her real master had sent her for hidden in a training dummy. She believed there was meaning to this, as if she was being called a dummy. The gem was known to her: cursed it would make her take her own life in search of a sister gem. I offered to be her Master but she must have missed the words.

Now the party had a swordmage in it that had died in a large chaotic fight with ogres and goblins. The body was left with a Raven Queen temple, and I must say I have visited these temples, not the best food for the poor visiting dignitaries. The sorceress used her charms to seduce a nun of the temple by pretending to be a leader of the temple (again baffling to me how she did that being a drow). Orders were given by the sorceress in disguise to dispose of the swordmage’s body and when she returned to prepare the new body so that everything looked the same. Fearing for her position after the affair, the nun did as told and my lover…killed herself replacing the body of the male swordmage with her own? What? I am pushed to continue the story. She awoke being tended to by the naïve party’s bard, Shira. I of course know Shira, one of my brightest pupils. There are some music notes she was not aware of until I showed her how to cup herself properly.

She told Sucaeva immediately and he seemed happy to have her there, but a cat-based female named Syral was unhappy to have…the…changeling…

Oh shit-on-a-shiny-silver-piece, she’s a man. The next chapter is about a cleric cat. Can’t be what the drow said but I’m a bit nauseous at the moment…

In a dark place.

Dear Mother,

I am sorry, I am really sorry. Please forgive what I have done for it was the only way I could save my friends.

When I recognized Mordred´s armor among the crowd after returning to the old lady house I almost fainted. My worst dreams had became true, he was condemned by my lack of courage. He was now exactly the same type of monster he used to hunt and all this was my fault.

My companions were quick to help me but I was so shocked that I could not tell them the truth. Mordred had come for me and that he would kill anybody in his path. I tried to play it down, to ignore it but I think everybody saw through my weak attempt at bluffing, instead they kept quiet just offering their help, I made a damning mistake not accepting it and telling the truth at that moment.

With the old lady happy, we went back to our rooms and of course Syral insisted in staying with me saying that she would protect my sleep, amusingly she fell asleep on a chair almost immediately while I was cleaning my weapons and armor, so I picked her up and put her in my bed. I would have kissed her then and I should have but for my stupid pride not wanting to recognize how close the two of us had become. Since I started teaching her about our customs she had been getting more interested in Lencia and us, trying perhaps to prove herself and her people to me, I doubt she knew what she was doing but she managed to cross the line between close battle companions and Ladyfriend and then, at the same time I knew that I loved her I knew the pain Grandmother felt when she was denied.

The following day while I was asleep, the others came and confirmed my suspicions, apparently Mordred had been feeding from me for sometime although I cannot say how much. My companions worried about it but I dismissed it again with my usual bravado even if in my inner self I was terrified. We parted for the day and Syral insisted in accompanying me while I spoke with Captain Kurrick about some forgeries we had found. Afterward she managed to take me to a bathhouse trying to cheer me, she got more than she bargained for as in the closeness of the bath and after a lot of embarrassment about bathing together due to the storm in my heart I broke down and told Syral how Mordred had met his end and how I was to blame. I would have tell her more but a message from Sukeva interrupted, recalling us to the High Ancestor chambers.

Upon reaching the Battle Chambers I had made up my mind, I would leave as soon as I could arrange it and spare my friends the horror that was to come. I sought the High Ancestor´s advice and asked for his blessing, then finding myself alone with Syral, I managed to tell her my feelings and how much I loved her. I kissed her and how I wish those would have been the only pair of lips I had touched yesterday.

Sukeva and Shera interrupted us again and set us on the task of escorting a priest to Moradin´s Temple to choose a successor for the High Ancestor. Along the way, the Sun turned black and an unexpected eclipse happened, it was a trap! some low lives attacked and while we were fighting them Mordred´s servant arrived. Another creature of evil and darkness, during the fight he toyed with me making me attack Syral and drinking my distress like a sweet nectar while taunting how I was to be taken by his Master. I can´t remember how it ended as I lost consciousness and almost died there, after reviving me my companions refused to tell me what had happened afterwards with the vampire just that he had fled after a blow from Syral. The worst was still to happen.

That night after leaving my friends in a celebration dinner I met the vampire again, apparently after tasting my blood he could follow me anywhere. I managed to buy some time and prepared my escape, leaving a farewell letter for my beloved she-cat. Then went to face Mordred in the center of Outlook. I was a stupid, he was too strong for me and I knew it, there was no way I could defeat his fell powers and the bonds that still connect us for (oh mother forgive me!) I still love him so much. The only thing I managed was to bargain for my friends in exchange for the surrendering of my blade and maidenhood.

Even that was a mockery as I was in such state of primal lust that I did not try denying him, despite what I had told Syral I went willingly to Mordred´s embrace and kisses. Offered him my most precious treasure like a common whore, shaming me and our bloodline. After that, being granted a reprieve I fled to the secret temple and crossed the portal to Lencia.

Now I am in a dark and forgotten chamber somewhere, defeated and disgraced. Asking myself where is my bravado, my honor, my soul. I can only feel a deep pain, I look at my sword and wonder if it can wash all the stains of my sins.

A shifter's thoughts

The gnome finishes her preparations for the night and finally heads for the door. But when she opens the door a shifter greets her, dejected and crumpled before the doorway, a many-creased, much-read letter in her hands and a small kitten on her lap. The gnome sighs and gently helps her inside, letting the door close behind them.

I don’t know what to do, the shifter finally confides. She sits on the edge of the bed, letter still in hand, kitten sniffing the bed coverings. I can’t stop thinking.

With no jokes or teasing, the gnome carefully puts her arms around the other’s shoulders. The shifter pulls her legs up; heels on the bed, chin on her knees, and the gnome suggests that, perhaps, getting the thoughts out might help.

And so eventually she finds the shifter a piece of paper and a quill, and keeps her distance, kitten on her lap, but ready should the young woman ask for her.

Shera Shira says its important to rite write down your thawts thoughts when you have to many, so Im going to try writeing writing things. But its really hard if I can only think of two things over and over and over again.

Shira says to start at the beginning. I don’t know where that is but I’ll try. Well actually I gess guess that’s the bath. Ever since then I’ve been confused. Wait no, since Miria started talking about Ladyfriends.

I really want to talk to her again. Have a really long talk. She said Ladyfriends meant different things, but she also said True Love, but she also told Sukava Sucaeva it wasn’t like him and Shira so I don’t know what to feel. I was really, really happy though when she kissed me. Even though she said she wished I was human.

And I know the reesons you gave and I know they make sense but your going to change LenthiaLensa Lencia right? So then shifters would be ok there, right? And I would help fight Mordred! I killed him. Sucaeva said vampyrs go to smoke when they die but then you have to stake them. I didn’t stake him but I turned him to smoke! He grabbed you and I was so angry I didn’t care if he killed me but I was going to make him drop you and I did! I know I’m not strong like a fighter and I can’t heel or do those things like the paladins you love but I’m not useless right?!

Small, gentle hands press on her shoulders. The shifter lifts her quill from the hole she tore in the paper and quickly wipes at her face. Only when her breath comes naturally again does the gnome back away.

And I didn’t even get to properly explane myself. I tried in the bath and almost did in the hall but then she said I love You and kissed me and then we were moving and I never properly said anything.

…I want to go to Lencia. I can’t be a human, and I don’t want to be and I really don’t like that you would wish such a thing but I’ll learn to wear a dress and I’ll be a refined lady like Shira. I won’t give any reeson for anyone to think badly of me. Would you let me come then?

Shira says there will always be people who go away, and I know that, but.. She also says it usually gets easier to deel with but it’ll take me longer, maybe. This is like when Stride died. And I really liked Stride because he was the first shifter I met outside my tribe and he was kind and smart and really made me think why I called Melora my god. And I miss him so much but this is different.

I love all the Shadow Hunters, even Tex. …Although I don’t really know why. But its different for each person. And I do miss Tex and I’m sad her and Miria couldn’t get along although I understand why, but. I want Miria back. I keep thinking I’ll sneak away and find Lencia myself. Sucaeva would hate me for it and so would Miria but I want to.

…But then who would protect Sucave and Shira? Without you around I’m the only one who can protect them. So then Im back to not knowing what to do.

…I don’t think writing helps.

The shifter sets down the quill and fiddles with the papers. Silence hangs heavy in the room until she stands and hugs the gnome. The kitten mews softly and the shifter finally lets go her vice-like grip to pick up the small nameless one. She stands about, unsure what to do, and then finally mumbles her thanks and an apology. The gnome offers her room and company, but the shifter simply smiles and shakes her head and lets herself out. She forsakes her own room and instead enters the fighter’s, cold and unused, and curls up atop the sheets, both letters in hand and a kitten at her throat, but no sleep comes.

Part 10 – Purpose

A hissing out of rhythm sound startled me from my sleep. Quick to brandish my weapon made of the finest woods magic, I aimed the table leg sword at the sound to find my dark lady had returned to me. He-hey! I quickly remembered her incoherency and deduced her words to be “Are you awake?”

I had changed locations to a fine establishment called the Oak’s Inn in a poor deteriorated outpost bustling big city. Her desire for me must not have been quenched, so I dropped the shaft, and sang to her of our love being renewed. She hissed more words to me, and dear reader for her speaking in this grand story, I will use my wording to save her modesty and thrill your minds. “Your being here sets me on the edge of fires that will melt your heart when you lay hands on me!” As she moved to my side, I begged asked her to take a moment as I opened a fruity wine for us to share in the broken fine glasses I found earlier in the day.

She…she told me of this place housing bodies she and her adoptive father had buried just behind the Inn. Ahem This woman was a deadly viper and the truth of the old saying ‘Don’t be feeble in the head, Drow do evil while not dead’ held true! I downed my drink showed no fear and told her she would pay for her crime with death. Gold was given to me as she said “Write my story jumpy noble bard, and when I finish, you may take me into the forest, where the elves will surely agree with you. As far as death, thrice I have defeated it.”

I spewed set aside my drink and told her after some thought that the payment would not be enough, she must let me have defend her. She asked what my purpose was and I said “-He-hey!- A woman like you will do well to have my scent on her to repel the beasts and villains that roam the world.” She thought well on my words. The woman receded into the shadows and with her coal skin, I lost her at times, but it just took a reflection on her eyes to have me freaked attentive.

“Collect your coins and some paper is under the front desk.” She peeled of her cloak He-hey! and began to tell me her story. “Purpose is confusing to me, why not enjoy and survive? Those with purpose seem unhappy and often they are blinded to those who get hurt. I shall tell you different events in no order, when we reach the last one, you will have your scent on me.”

“My purpose is to find if I am good or evil, a weapon or just a discarded tool, a being of flesh or the storms themselves. Introduce your book, and we will start with the second time I died.”

A sad parting.

Miria left the hall quietly with a heavy heart. Her excuse of having to go to the privy would not hold long but she was counting on the council members to keep her companions busy long enough to get to the temple. Leaving the secret chambers she mumbled a hasty excuse to the door guards and exited the building to the empty streets of Outlook.

There Miria stopped dead on her tracks. In the shadows a figure could be seen. Reflexively her hand went to Raven´s Tooth hilt. “Damn! That vampire again.” she hissed.

“Did you miss me mortal?” The figure laughed “I was just waiting for you. I have tasted your blood, you can´t hide from me. Now, be a good sheep and come with me, my Master awaits. He has been searching you for a long time and grows impatient.”

Finding enough will to tear her gaze away from the vampire Miria stood her ground. “No monster, I know now who your Master is and I am not going to accompany you. You will have to kill me first and he will not be pleased if you dare to do so.”

The vampire smiled “So we are at a standstill, yes?” his gaze went from the fighter in front to the building she had exited. “Perhaps other ways could be used to comply with my Masters wishes, child.”

Miria faltered for a second thinking about her friends, most importantly Syral. “No!” desperately she tried to bluff her way out and save her friends. “I… I will not follow you, but tell… tell your Master that I will meet with him in Tradetown in half a candle. If he really wants me he can come then, not before.”

“You are too bold mortal, you misjudge your position. You are not but a glorified pet.” Said the vampire as he blended with the shadows the whispered “Anyway I´ll comply with your wishes and convey your words to my Master. We can follow you if you try to escape”.

Miria bit her lip in an effort to control her panic. This was to soon, she had to move fast and try to trick her way out or everything would have been for naught. Running through the dark streets she reached the Battle Chamber building and went to her room. Entering, she stood looking the bed for a second and remembering its last occupant.

Crying, she took a parchment from her backpack and put it on the bed. Slowly, Miria untied her Highborn mask and removing it from her face, kissed it and deposited it besides the letter. Tears fell on the lacquered material. “I am sorry my love” she managed to mutter between sobs “I wish I could change it, I wish I could take you with me.” then with a last “I hope you understand.” she took her backpack and closed the door.

Steeling herself, Miria crossed the town. If someone recognized her they dared not stop her as her naked face radiated with such a determination that made even the worst gang members run away in fear. Entering the market plaza, she stopped in the middle and waited, while some nocturne souls stared at her.

The wait was not long. “We meet again at last, my beloved” A dark, hooded figure carrying an executioners axe entered the plaza from the opposite side, the few drunks and patrons of the night market hastily run away from the noise of steel boots striking the stone. A gauntlet went to the hood and threw it back. Miria averted her eyes from the figure to avoid the pain of remembering his face, his loving smile turned into a predatory snarl. To avoid looking at his fangs.

“You refuse me!? don´t you want to see what have I become just for you, my love?” the voice echoed on the empty square. “Look at me!” The vampire thundered. His free hand extended to the fighter beckoning as his voice lowered, changed, commanded “Look at my face. Come to me. Take my hand and be mine my love, forever!”.

Somewhere deep inside a voice screamed in horrified denial as her face started to rise towards the vampire knight. One foot shifted, then stepped closer to the vampire, her hand reached forward. Eyes met and she knew she was lost. His smile grew gentle as he pulled her close against him, arms wrapping warm around her. He lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers, barely touching and never breaking eye contact.

“There now. This is much better, is it not?”

He stroked her face and a languid heat spread heavy over her mortal flesh. Her head drooped, seeking the strength of his shoulder, but his fingers under her chin prevented her motion. To do so would pull her eyes from his and he couldn’t have that. Not yet. He kissed her again, backing slowly into the shadows. One arm vined around her waist, lifting her. She clung, whimpering as he devoured her defiance. Looking away was no longer an option. He had her, almost entirely.

“A boon my Lord, a boon and a promise, I beg you Lord” she managed to say with the last shreds of her will.

“You dare, child? why should I grant you this boon?” The eyes commanded, fangs glittering under the dim light of the streets.

“Because I will freely give what can not be taken. In the name of the love I have for you, you will never attack my friends for I will give my virtue by my own will.” she paused “Because in exchange of one more day to say my farewells I will give you the blade of the Shadowfel, a powerful weapon that now has part of my soul. That way I will be your complete slave, body and soul.”

He laughed, “Ahhhh. I can taste your fear for your friends like a wine sliding over my tongue. Let me sip once more.” He kissed her again this time drawing blood “So sweet, beloved. I am going to enjoy you. I´ll grant your boon and promise on my honor not to attack your friends but I´ll take my reward before I release you.”

Lowering her gaze she said “There is a place nearby, it´s called the Lady´s Bodice.”

“Take me there.”

Next thing she realized, a bed lay firm under her back. He leaned over her, slowly removing her armor, while she arched into his touch. Every time her eyes tried to close, he drew her gaze back. His smile was lazy as he worked. Time lost all meaning, her world reduced to glittering eyes and impossibly warm hands. He peeled armor and fabric away as if unwrapping a treasured gift, his fingers doing the seeing for him. She spiraled into need. He leaned back, then stepped away from her. Cool air licked at her naked flesh. She watched, aching, as he stripped away his plate armor and attire. She wanted so much to drink in the view, but the ruby eyes held her firm. Her hands reached for him, craving his naked muscles, sound coming from parted lips.

“Invite me.”

A measure of will came back to Miria. She found her voice, and managed a weak, “No.”

His laughter was soft and indulgent. He took a single step toward the bed, power rippling off of him.

“Invite me, Miria D´Urban. For I am your True Love.”

Eyes darkened and glowed, reasserting control. She groaned, turning her head away, then groaned again. She could not break eye contact and that was her only hope of salvation. A swirl settled between her thighs, ruffling the tangle of pink curls. She cried out, parting her legs, biting her lip against the words battering free.

Once more, he came to her, soothing her with his touch. She shivered as his body slid over hers. His fingers brushed up her legs, stroked her arms, to her cheek. Once more, his voice resonated through her. She was drowning in heat, falling at a deadly rate into primal lust while he remained calm. A second face entered Miria´s feverish mind, making her lose control, wiping away the last of denials. When he whispered again, staring at her so intently, she could breathe but one damning word.

“Yesss”

Her neck was bared to him, the pulse offered freely now as her voice crashed and her mind fled to the other image inside her, “Syral…”

When she woke, she was disoriented. She opened her eyes carefully, recognizing the room. She was still naked, blood on her thighs and on the pillows, one hand slapped to her neck, already the wounds were closed. Her clothes and armor were spread nearby, Raven´s Tooth missing from its sheath. Her body still ached with satisfaction, betraying the storm in her mind. She snatched her shirt up and started to cry while she dressed. When she sat down to put on her boots, a wave of dizziness struck, forcing her to lean back against the chair. “It was the only way” she kept repeating “The only way to protect her”.

Quickly, with the lure of the bed and the memory of his touch pulling, she slipped out of the room. With luck, she could get to the relative safety of temple and be away before her companions would have time to find her.

Sidestory. Fate

My Dear Lyra,

Just a quick note to say that I made an official request to your grandfather for you to leave your house and come to mine to become my LadyFriend, I even agreed to the outrageous amount he proposed to the council. I hope to have you with me soon, then my life will be fulfilled and my loveless marriage will not matter.

I await for you, light of my eyes.

A.

D´Urban,

I would rather marry my granddaughter to a demonlord than have her turn into your lover. The dowry was just an excuse to save face in front of the council. There is not enough money in the world for you to have her. Never dare to look at her again.

Miria

My Dear Ladyfriend,

I am really sorry for having lied to you but it is the only way I can be sure you will not follow me or try to change my mind. By now I am sure that somehow Mordred is back from death and he is after me. Do not underestimate him, he was a great man and a magnificent Knight of Pelor while he was alive, I fear what he has become, a dark, relentless, bloodthirsty beast. I will try to lure him away from you three, but I beg you avoid him at all costs, more than your lives could be lost.

Give my best to Sukeva, to Shera, and to Tex when you meet… her, I wish them a lot of sucess in the road they are taking. Being a part of the Shadow Hunters has been the most fulfilling experience in my heart since I left Lencia, even with Tex included. Being with you was the stuff from my Great grandfather´s tales, the closeness, the fighting spirit, the love.

And that brings me back to you, my dear Ladyfriend. I wish there would be another way but I am not doing this out of pride or misguided duty but rather love. I will not deceive us any longer, you are the only Ladyfriend I could have, even if you are an uncivilized barbarian, you will always be my uncivilized she-cat. I do not care what others might think, it is a rare thing for us Highborns to find True Love but within you I found it although I was not able to recognized it for what it was until too late. I will not throw your gift away but the other side of that coin is that my enemies will try to hurt you or, might the Gods forbid it, Mordred to find out about you. That is the true reason I am running away instead of taking you back with me, if we are apart, nobody will be able to touch a hair of your lovely head. Do not worry about me, I am used to being hurt so what it is a few more poisoned daggers…

There is a last sacrifice I must make for you but no matter what happens it will be gladly given so no need to be sad.

I write to you as I watch Sukeva play with some rats in a dusty basement. It looks that now we are the adventurers for everything in this city. We save rats from unseen assassins, open new inns and rescue non existent babies from imaginary monsters with 3 heads and tentacles instead of wings and we cannot walk through the city without a crowd following us. How embarrassing is to be a hero sometimes.

Fortunately the enemy army is gone, we just went outside to free the guardian spirit of the city and other than a few stranglers we did not have anything worthwhile to fight, we ambushed a couple of orc patrols, some ogres and a funnily dressed orc warlock with a big sword and that was all, nothing to worry over much . Although I must say that I find a little bit difficult to coordinate with my companions, setting an ambush with them it is almost impossible, they call me bloodthirsty but they are eager to charge the first mangy orc scout they encounter instead of waiting for the main group but I hope one day I will be able to teach them how to set up a proper ambush. Well, anyways Sukeva told us that the spirit was gone to a better place so that it is the end of it. Pity about the defenses I guess they will have to rebuild them now.

Dear mother on the other hand I have to say that Syral was a very brave. You know, I cannot but wonder, specially when sometimes she looks at me in such a funny way that even if she she is still a little bit uncouth if she could be my Ladyfriend. Better stop writing, I am blushing just from thinking about the possibility and Sukeva will wonder what I am doing.

Sucaeva goes to Hogwart's

The city of Ylarie was truly a site to behold. Though it was an expansive city, by Eladrin standards, its white towers and colonnades blended into the natural flora of the feywild, that one could almost call it was grown there. Its central white tower, where an elder Bralani watches over the surrounding domain, serves as a shining beacon to all who would need shelter from the many dangers that lurk in the arcane forests of that outer world. In addition, at the base of that tower was, and perhaps still is, a school dedicated to the arcane arts. Wizardry is a learned art, and if one has the aptitude and the patience, one can learn to tap into the great river of arcane.

The bells chimed signifying that morning lessons had begun. The adults wound their way the corridors into the various libraries, cloisters, and practice halls whilst the children gathered in the gardens before being divided up and dispatched to their scheduled lessons for the day. Those wishing to gain admittance had to gather in the eastern gardens. The prospectives were mostly Eladrin though there were a few Elves and even a couple of Half-Elves. Despite what is often said about the elven races, we have the same feelings and emotions and as children, we run and play much the same as Humans or Dwarfs. One elf, with a bit of a wild look to his eye was being particularly rambunctious who was trying to show off for his peers by tumbling around the gardens and doing handstands. The teacher for the morning lessons had to create a loud bang with his wand before the students came to heel. The instructor, a tall, Eladrin male with an overly stern look addressed the group, “Today, we will begin to determine if you possess the disposition and aptitude required for the study of magic. We will have to test you on how well you can retain the words of power needed to conjure, adjure, and invoke, as well as how well you respond to the implements wizards use to channel arcane energy. I will spend some time with each of you individually before you break off into smaller groups. So, let us begin.”

Over the course of the next few days the students were tested and each was given the choice of which implement they would like to try. Many of the Eladrins and Elves chose wands, though a few chose the orb. The Half-Elves gravitated towards the tome. A few in the group, including the wild elf, chose the staff. Its connection to the earth seemed to keep it rooted and stable, while at the same time, commanding great power. Once the implement choice was made, the students were schooled in the basic cantrips that are the mainstay of any wizard’s spell book.

Some of the students showed great promise in their studies, while many others still showed aptitude with basic spell craft. However, one student just could not get a spell correct. he either forget a key word or neglected a somatic component at a crucial time. He tried again and again, and it seemed like he could almost manifest a mage hand, but then the hand would dissipate when it tried to manipulate anything. Despite the suggestions of his teachers, he kept trying, but eventually he had to resign himself to failure. He might have been kin to the Eladrin, but magical skill was simply not in his blood. A particularly cruel child told him, “You will have an easier time getting that staff to bloom than you will at any sort of wizardry.” He did not know how right he was.

It has been a long time since I have thought about those days. My ambitions to become a wizard were quashed, but I did gain a great power of a different kind. I suppose I lament what my abilities had cost me. The beast within had to be awakened and would not arise through quiet reflection and study. I wonder, will I even feel that consumed again?

…“Sucaeva, get you @$$ back in the bed! Your spot is starting to get cold!” She has yet to fail at putting a smile on his face, He put his quill down and went back to the bed to put his thoughts to rest once again.

venting with a bard is not a good idea.

Hello my fellow traveller, might you use a song to brighten your day? Or perhaps a story of wonder? Could you imagine an evil unicorn? How about a crying drow? Yes a crying drow. Well it is a true story if ever there was one!

My name dear sir is Gaston Redcap, and I have traveled from the west to search for an audience worthy of my years of training and uncanny natural ability. Ha ha you won’t believe it but I can tell from your appearance that YOU are my perfect audience! It is truer than the words of Bahamut dear sir!

This ’morrow a beautiful woman came to my place of work, which is common, so I thought little of it. My cave usually, er, I mean my cottage is the spot where women learn all about love if you get my meaning he-hey! She was startled to see me because…I was the most handsome man she met and she started crying almost immediately under her cowl for finally finding passion in her heart.

There was more though, this woman had skin that gave darkness new meaning, and fiery red eyes that made her tears seam pink to me. She was drow sir, and I had calmed her fires and turned them to love.

Now wait wait, you say this is silly but, Ok I’ll let go of your sleeve but just let me engross you for a few minutes more, and this story will be only a gold piece…a SILVER piece sir…Ok Ok I’ll pay you, just sit down!

This money came from her you know, she couldn’t communicate at all in the common tongue so I offered to write her thoughts in song. Over the day, she told me some odd news indeed.

There is a town of hearty dwarves that rely on women to protect their city. Due to our proximity, I only imagine she meant Outlook. The lady said that her group of courtesans were secretly great fighters under the silks and corsets, and well you know those shapely bodies he-hey!

This group of women has an elf male that keeps them from being lost in the wild. The drow woman said her best friend was also in the group, a cat creature with womanly appearances. The drow said she was confused about the cat, but that was before she saw my lush chest hair as I opened my burlap, I mean my fine silk clothes, so she would see everything a man offers over that of a woman he-hey!

This group of women had a fallen princess from a land called Lencia. Have you heard of it? It is out west? Like me? Like me! Oh yes of course I knew that of course. Just testing you on the geography as it were.

Where was I? Oh yes, this foul ex-princess woman is so ugly that she is forced to wear a helmet in fear of men running away. The drow said she wished to learn how to fight better from the ugly princess, but that the ugly princess only mocked her for having a perfect body. The drow said she desperately wanted to befriend the ugly ex-princess but to no avail.

Ogres and Orcs attacked the women in their sleeping chambers as they were dreaming of moustachoid men and pouting in mock kisses, as I understood her words. The secret group of female fighters defeated the monsters, but the previous mocks were too much for the drow’s dainty disposition. She spent moments with her cat friend and promised to return, but only when she regained her wits about her, to stand-up to the ugly ex-princess and had found comfort in the knowing arms of a real man like myself.

Why, I myself met the metal wearing she-beast, it was she that gave me this black eye, and scorched my fine clothes with lightning from her eyes as I protected the drow woman’s escape.

Sir? You nodded off. I wrote a song that the woman paid a silver to have written! Would you care to hear? Ah, I will follow you as you mount your horse and sing you away with it!

Side story

To: Cpt Kurick. Battlechamber
From: Sgt Stobe. North Gate Guardhouse.

Captain, our fears have been confirmed. We found the third exsanguinated body in Elf Town tonight, a human female in the trade, it seems that along the lunatics, the fifth columnists and the monsters, we now have a vampire to deal with. I´ll strengthen the patrols but we will need additional help. Perhaps we could use that crazy human friend of yours to lure the vampire in the open and have the Heroes deal with it.

Why waste the gifts of darkness?

…and on the ground heads are seen stacked as if on display. Heads that held so much information on things that would probably surprise the party.

Schemes, desires and well kept secrets are things that Tex had traded in so often in the past, and they had much weight in Stormpeak. You could say that that weight doubled in the Underdark, where drow thrive. These heads, which had the potential for the same amount of strategy, were trumped by heavy blades.

Tex is awash in dizzyness. The death of the dwarf by arrow meant little, even as information gathered points to an archer coming to kill him. The beheaded pile showed the power of muscle, of pure purpose, of equalizing all forms of life into rotting husks.

Now, NOW things begin to click for Tex! Miria had killed so many in the short months they had been working together. Vicious cuts from the blade of the maiden that seemed to be grunt work, or simple pleasure now showed more purpose to the red-eyed drow. The purpose was accomplishment, of taking away pieces of the puzzle and thus making plans moot.

Miria was proud of killing the purple worm and made every effort to display it. Drow would do it slow, with twisted painful days and weeks sapping the life out of the enemy, but the pink one produced savage slashes to make the worm fall quickly. This is definitely the easiest character value to understand for the drow sorcerer: Kill and be done with it.

Sucaeva too had thrown up a barrier that did not relent when a master sergeant or a lowly supply henchman walked through. The primal power he set forth had one task, which was to wipe clean the enemies from the board so that the elf could focus on the next kill.

Shira found the wisest enemy in a house and before the rest could question, reason or riddle with him, snuffed his gray matter with a gesture. She had the strongest power, she used it, she moves on, triumphant, richer and free of nuisances…

Syral, is of course the deadliest member of the party. Her blade is something to be feared indeed. Tex has spent many conversations with the razorclaw, who has ten cuts in the carcass to any one cut of the next party member…

and the conversations are engaging! How is it she uses her charm for rationale rather than rule-breaking? This is dizzying in itself.

Is the path to virtue, and understanding life simply killing rather than planning? Tex studies these Shadow Hunters and wonders why so much of the drow’s effort has been put into survival rather than being merciless. Father knows best it seems.

Yet another page in the chronicle...

Sucaeva’s Memoires
Part II

The door slowly opens, with each tiny creak sounding like a cacophony to the elf who was trying to quietly enter his room after checking on the shifter Syral. He did not want to wake Shira who had crawled into his vacated space on the bed. He marveled for a minute at how a simple sheet could so perfectly outline the curves of her body. He bent over, brushed the hair from her face and kissed her on the cheek before proceeding over to his desk. He begins to write…
I have been thinking about when I would next have the opportunity to put my thoughts to paper again, and it seems the Fate Weaver has presented me with the chance. However, I would have preferred not to be up so early, especially not after our ordeal with a purple worm and an army of orcs. I was woken up be an ear piercing scream (for me at least) coming from Syral’s room. I tried to wake up Shira, but she is not a morning person, and besides, she was far too comfortable wrapped around me. With a sigh, I extricated myself from her arms, got dressed, grabbed my healing kit, and went to her room to see what was wrong. Apparently she had a night terror with some gruesome side effects. She had awoken to find her fingers mangled, and then (why she did not wait on me, a healer, I do not know) proceeded to push her finger into place on her own. She described the dream to be, but even now I cannot make sense of it. In her dream we were all killed by an unseen archer, and Tex figured prominently in these events, though I cannot remember how. Sadly, I could not worry too much about her dream. She was in hysterics and I had to calm her down and make sure that no permanent damage had come to her hand. I managed to get her to a measure of serenity (I use the term loosely), and I set the bones in her hand with a splint so that they might heal properly. Hopefully, my ministrations will be effective. This is the second nightmare she has had that has resulted in bizarre consequences. I wish I knew what they meant, but, sadly, this seems out of my element. I am not as skilled a spirit talker as Myinn or…Karal. Thankfully, due to recent events, we have earned ourselves a bit of a respite as the army surrounding the city seems to be in disarray. However, I am convinced that this trial is over. I suppose I should try to explain.
My companions and I were informed, by the ‘ever-wise’ General Stone, that the magical defenses protecting the city might be weakening and that the enemy was going to use a purple worm to breech the physical ones. The general also told us that there was a way to halt the worm. There is an ancient barrier that could repel invaders of this magnitude, but that they had not needed this shield for a long time, so of course, the barrier was inactive. Naturally, the Shadow Hunters were nominated to exit the city, get past an entire army, enter the forest and restore the outer protections, a task that would be suicide for anyone…except for us. I cannot help but take pride in what we accomplished. We managed to evade detection and not alert the army during our trek to the forest, though we were almost found out because Miria and Syral, sadly, do not know when (or how) to stop bickering. We had to duck into a house to evade some orcs who were coming up on our position, and they kept chatting until Shira and I could get them to be quiet long enough for us to be out of danger. Thankfully, the guards were not alerted and we were able to make it to the forest. What awaited us there was unusual and ghastly.
We came across an eccentric dwarf who had sequestered himself in a tree house so that he could guard over a grove where the key to the barrier was. After a good deal of convincing he agreed to help us and led us to a stone plinth in the middle of a grove. As I got close to it, I felt a sudden dark energy around me, and when I looked to my companions it was as if they were frozen in time. A ghastly spirit appeared to me and called to me. I could not advance for the mere sight of this apparition made me uneasy. I find it difficult to describe in words what it looked like, but it looked withered with agony and age, and the dark energy that emanated from it was…terrifying. A spirit should not be like this, especially since I sensed that it was a tree spirit and the forest around it was alive and thriving. What it said next unnerved me most. It said many things about how it was lured and trapped, and how its energy was used to power the special barrier, but I found myself having trouble believing it. There is one desire from the spirit that I am sure of…it wants to die. It begged me for death, which seemed so unnatural to me, but as the spirit was in pain, I had no choice but to give it the release it needed. A follower of the spirit way could not do otherwise. Before I could convey what had happened, I noticed something moving in the undergrowth. A party of orcs leaped from the trees and ambushed us. Thankfully, we were able to fight them off without exhausting ourselves. I am amazed at how far we have come together. We fight as a unit now, a pack, and that is a great comfort to me. After the fight, I was able to tell everyone about the tortured spirit. Even as I was telling them, I could feel that dark force nagging at me, and hopefully, I was able to master my expression. I did not want everyone to know what that spirit made me feel. I managed to convince everyone that we should release the spirit, well, everyone except the dwarf. To make matters worse, the runes on the plinth were in dwarven, and so Miria had to be enlisted to help me. Things from then on did not go on as planned. I told Miria what to look for, and I performed the ritual according to the information she gave me, but as I completed it, the effect was not the spirits release, at least not that I could sense, but rather the summoning of the purple worm to the plinth. Apparently, what I had told Miria did not register as she had searched for the glyphs that would bring the worm to her for an epic battle. Miria amazes me in so many ways, and not all of them positive. We learned that we had roughly an hour, or less, to prepare for its arrival. Though, I think we greatly underestimated the beasts’ speed as the ground began to rumble beneath our feet. Then, in a burst of dirt and rock, the worm shot up through the ground, and before anyone could say a word, the creature lunged forward and devoured Miria! My friends and I could scarcely believe it, but we wasted no time in throwing everything we could muster at the foul thing. While we were fighting the beast, I noticed a figure emerge from the trees, elevn in appearance with skin the colour of obsidian…a drow! There was something familiar about her, but I did not have time to ponder the issue as I saw Shira get eaten. I could feel my heart in my throat, and I attacked the beast bite, blast, fang I could muster, but then I saw a plume of vapour emerge from the worm’s mouth and then materialize into my beloved gnome. I breathed a quick sigh of relief before our new drow friend was devoured, but she also managed to escape in a similar fashion by using some sort of teleporting magic. I noticed more orcs gathering at the edges of the battlefield, but they did not approach. They merely waited while we continued to fight with the worm. After a while it looked as if we might defeat the beast (I admit, I did have my doubts), but before we press our advantage, it plunged itself into the ground and proceeded unerringly towards Outlook. We barely had a second to breathe before rushed forward, but instead of attacking us, they jumped into the fresh hole and followed the overgrown earthworm towards the city. The drow came straight to me and advised me not to go into the hole and follow; however, before I could consider her advice, Syral jumped in and ran after them. It took me a second but I realised what was happening and I urged the rest of us to follow her. The drow acquiesced, amazingly, and she started calling me “B” (which was my second big clue that it was Tex) as she followed my lead. We gave chase (for which I am not properly built) and eventually we arrived in Outlook with a host of orcs and who knows what else at our backs. Just before I exited the tunnel I summoned a wall of brambles and thorns that would hopefully keep them at bay while my companions and I dealt with the worm. We chased the creature through the streets, but I noticed that it was not moving randomly. It was following a dwarf with an odd contraption strapped to his back. The worm was being lured from within the city!! I believe that it must be that accursed “There shall be a new dawn!” group. I did not have much time to utter a curse I had to focus on killing that beast. Thankfully, the creature had grown tired of trying to digest the armoured titan that is Miria and spit her out. I called on the spirits to protect her and indeed all of us as we strove to restore balance to this city. The worm stopped in front of a house (I am not sure why), and then we continued to pummel it with whatever we could while the drow, whom I assumed must be Tex, went to seal the hole. Miria was relentless, even after being eaten and flung over a fruit cart, she did not shy away from charging the beast again and again. I cursed once again as I saw Miria become devoured again. Thankfully, her stint in its belly was shorter this time as soon enough, I saw the glint of steel emerge from the beasts’ gut, after which Miria was soon to follow. We very nearly had victory.
While we were dealing the final blows against the worm, Shira had chased down the dwarf with the strange contraption, killed him, and then had gone a bit loopy from the purple smoke. She rejoined us, and we mopped up and got rid of the few remaining orcs that got through my wall. We had once again saved the city from certain destruction, and the people cheered us when we eventually returned to the battle chamber, but the machine and that otherworldly substance still trouble me. That purple smoke was not of this plane, and I can only assume that the subversives within the city were in league with the army from without. So many many dangers, and I fear that we will never be rid of them. In fact, this motley crew seems to attract disaster, much like that strange purple smoke. However, for now we have earned our triumph and we deserve rest, but I fear that we will not be able to rest for very long. I suppose I only need enough time to lie down and get a little sleep…waiting for a very sneaky gnome to crawl in with me later.Sucaeva takes a minute to flex his fingers and relax in the chair for a minute to consider what he had written. A sleepy moan and sigh came from behind him, but as he turned around he merely saw Shira readjusting herself in the bed. He thought about going back to the bed, but he wasn’t quite ready yet. “I am sure my leftover warmth will last her a little longer. I should probably try to finish this entry before I get interrupted again,” he wondered aloud to himself. Sucaeva then laughed a little bit as he remembered the last ‘interruption’ he experienced. “Hmmm…I suppose some interruptions would be okay, ha ha.” He thinks about what to write next and then puts pen to paper again…

After the Purple Worm

Dear Mother,

You were right, I only had to wait for the signs and the way would be shown. Now the threat to Outlook is gone. The Purple Worm rush was the last chance for the invaders, once we killed it the only thing remaining is to free the spirit from the clearing and to mop up the rest of the rabble, surely even an incompetent like General Stone will be able to do it.

While fighting the worm I was scared for a second, just like in my first battle as a green recruit with the Phoenix Hawks. It was just a moment when the damn beast ate me but soon I recovered and finished it with a few strikes to the gut, then teased Syral about how I did not need her help at all. I guess that now the stupid dwarf will want to make good his promise to drive me from the city, well let him try I have my ways and the guardian agreed to help me. Anyway it suits me to leave, almost all my affairs are in order, only the kobold slaves remain to be freed and some other hidden enemy has decided that she wants to kill me. Adventurers! we live such a busy lives.

So now that brings me to the point where I have to decide what to do with my companions. They want to come with me to Lencia to help but they do not imagine that the dangers that await them there are not the ones they can face with naked blade and eldritch power but rather words and hidden moves. I am going to fight a type battle where I am but a mere novice and they know nothing at all. No matter what they think I will take steps to safeguard their lives even if I have to leave in the dark of the night like a common thief.

I will miss them surely, but more than enough blood will be spilled before this is settled and I will not have their blood on my hands. Specially Syral, I wish she was a human or an elf to take her into our house in the place she deserves, alas the Gods like to laugh at us and our trials.

Please dear Mother, when you read this come back to my side. Without you to sing to me my dreamscape has become a cold place. My black twin is gaining a foothold in and a dark shadow stalks me where my memories of my beloved paladin should be.

I am very tired of this. In the last two days I have been stabbed, poisoned, burned, bitten, petrified so I decided to run away for a few hours even if the battle for Outlook was still raging at the walls. With general Sizeroom out of the picture the militia should hold on. I just could not continue fighting yesterday but of course it was because according to my friend Rea I had my left hip and shoulder dislocated, two ribs broken, right wrist sprained, could not move half the fingers from the shield hand, was missing a front tooth and I was in my Blood Moon to boot, although this last thing came as a surprise, I guess that when you are busy being pummeled by a big dragon little things like having your period tend not to be noticed, but no problem that our elven heritage cannot heal, I will be as good as new in a couple of days at most.

The funny thing of all this mess, dear mother, is that I am kind of hiding in a house of ill repute due to a silly mistake. After the battle with Sizeroom, while the eladrin was trying to make us have a dinner altogether and because the kobold troubles I told you, I could not go back to the Pickled Imp I decided to change inns to a better one so I grabbed the first passerby and asked where could I get a bath and a masseuse, on account of my shoulder giving me trouble when lifting Raven`s Tooth, and he pointed me to the Lady´s Bodice thinking that I was searching for some female company, do not laugh at me mother, because here a masseuse is not a skilled healer but a female entertainer (but why he did not realized I am a woman even under the armor is puzzling). Soon I was in this… house, I am afraid I scared all the ladies inside when I bashed the doormen through their doors after they barred my way saying that I could not enter because I was not a member nor a male, and being a little bit tired I decided to take a room anyways so I went for a bath while the girls fixed my injuries.

I must said that I had a great time at the Lady´s Bodice, the girls due to their regular occupation know a lot of human anatomy and how to give a nice and relaxing massage, also the Bodice has nice baths, pretty popular among the high classes I was told. And as nothing improper was going on as all the regular customers where busy with the fighting we had the chance for some girl talk about my friends (they were very interested in Sukeva I do not know why), how the battle was going and lots of gossiping on regular life (do you know some paladins go to the Bodice on a regular basis!?!? It is outrageous, if they are spending their time there when do they have time to come to the rescue of cute helpless maidens like me?). I must confess that although Rea is an excellent masseuse I could not avoid thinking about a certain pair of dexterous hands over my skin. Would it be bad to have her as a Ladyfriend even if she is not of our kind?

But feel proud of me mother, I never allowed my wounds to slow me, not even for a second, and if I have to carve a path of blood and death back to Lencia to face Father again I will do it alone or at the head of an army. Like the old horse master used to said sometimes I am as bloody minded as a three years old mare on heat, funny that I remember that now.

Now before we depart for the depths again, I will take some time to reflect on yesterday´s events. Last night I wrote to you of how we entered the Horned Hold through the trapped door and made our way to the duergar leader in his rooms. Today I will continue from that point.

As I said, Sukeva was fighting Murkelmore while I was holding two duergar brutes at bay and the rest killing a mage. At that point the leader seeing that his mage was done for and that the two soldiers were not far behind decided to escape and seek more help. Pushing aside Sukeva the damned duergar bolted through a secret door in his fireplace, so quickly we finished the other two and chased him to the adjacent room.

Keep in mind dear mother that at this point I was spent, heavily injured and the others were not much better, but we needed to finish Murkelmore before he had time to rise the whole fortress against us. So we barged on the other room, some kind of slave holding area, only to find that, curse them!, it was guarded too. The guards rushed at us and we had to beat a hasty retreat. Stride cast a cloud of darkness but a duergar mage somehow managed to land a foul spell on Sukeva slowing him.

At that moment time stopped for me and my heart froze. I was not seeing Sukeva in front of me. It was me again, cornered by the ghouls and ready to die. It was Mordred holding me, pulling me on his charger and then being dragged underground by the hungry undead. My beloved savior, first from myself and countless other times from our enemies, how I miss you my Mordred, may Pelor reward you eternally for all your kindness to me.

It became very clear to me. There was no way in the Nine Hells that I was going to leave a trusted friend to die again. I put Raven´s Tooth on Shera´s hands and ordered her to run. I had decided that like Horatius at the bridge, I was going to hold the line and allow everybody to escape and if I was to find my death inside the hold, so be it. Steeling myself I advanced and pulled Sukeva behind me while the duergars charged us.

The first round went badly for the both of us. The black dwarves managed to hit us no matter what we did and bloodied Sukeva. While Sukeva broke off from the fight I managed to close the door and spike it with my javelin. Alas!, it was not enough. The duergar hammers tore down the door on a couple of hits and closed on us again. Defending myself somehow I made it to the other door of the room. Fortunately I was the last and everybody else was making good time towards the exit. The duergar landed more blows on me and then I knew I was going to die. My armor was battered, my shield twisted, blood flowing freely to the floor I was hemorrhaging to death and with only a dagger to fight back, ready to charge them for the last time when Shera saved me.

Instead of running away the silly girl closed on my position saying that she was not going to allow me to die. With some gestures she cast some spell of hers and suddenly my wounds closed just enough and I got my strength back a little so I could close the door on the cursed duergars. This time apparently held long enough, with a burst of speed I charged Shera picking her up and jumped in the next room while Syral closed and bolted the door. From there it was easy enough to make it to the secret door and the trapped room again. Out of the Horned Hold at last we made a harrowing escape from the duergar patrols and traced our way back to the Nine Pillar Hall without further encounters.

As I am telling this I watch the gnome deep asleep. While I caress her locks I wonder what to think, on the one hand I do not want to die again but surviving when my friends do not would be to die in the inside. I barely know some of them (and now Stride seems to have turned back into a nameless drow, there seems to be a big curse there), but even if I pick on Syral for being such a child and sometimes mock Sukeva for being… Sukeva, I would not mind sacrificing all for them to be safe.

I am starting to believe that it is some kind of balancing act of universal justice. The same way Mordred loved and cared for me I love my companions (except perhaps for Stride until he stops changing) so I will say it here so you can hold my secret safe, I love Sukeva, I love Shera and I even amusingly I find myself loving that jealous she-cat Syral and will do my utmost to see them safe as long as I am able.

Yesterday I think I died. I was fighting an ogre when his pet hellhound jumped on me and then I do not remember anything else. I woke up in a funny place cold and grey, full with strange people in robes that could not remember much. But that is not what the priest said when greatgran died. There was also a big skeleton that tried to trick me but I managed to outwit it and escaped back to the world with the help of an old man. I saw a platinum dragon too but I do not know why Bahamut was doing in the other world, I do not like the gods messing around with my life. When I made it back I found that poor Elias had died too, I do not know why he came to the Nine Pillar Hall but until we find enough money to resurrect him the priests will keep his body safe.
…
After resting a little bit Sukeva just told me that now we have to work for the mages killing a renegade some place around a sea of shadows, where he is holding Karal hostage. Not bad we can kill two birds with one stone and then I will deal with the damn ogre on our way out of this place.
…
Lost! We got lost again, I hate this place and the iron eating monsters. I am down another lantern and lucky that I could escape with my armor intact, not thanks to Syral, the kitty spends too much time hissing and too little working out. I almost got Sukeva to give me the floating ring for a while.
…
Found the stairs to the sea. Apparently they were built to connect the duergar cities with the upper mountain, Shira managed to fool a patrol making as if we were on a diplomatic trip. That little one has a silver tongue I wish I could do the same but nobody pays attention to me unless I am threatening them, it is so depressing.
The sea of shadows was kind of dark. Without light we could see a green star glowing but of course without light I cannot see anything at all. So we stumbled around for a while until we found a bridge. Then followed it until guess what, we found another pack of undead! I swear half the world died inside the mountain and cannot be still. I hate it! I hate it!
…
After resting a little bit finally found the green star. It was a tower and inside some minions from the renegade mage. Killed some in the ground floor, climbed a rope (Sukeva fell down again) and killed a few more nasty monsters, including a follower of Vecna that tried to scare us tearing of his face, very impressive but I killed it anyways. Alas! we were late, somehow Syral managed to spoil the magic ritual the Vecna guy was doing and instead of eating Karal´s soul it ended up inside a black gem like the one Sukeva was carrying around.
Syral being the magpie she is took the gem and transformed into Karal. It was such a surprise, I had to grapple her so Sukeva could take the gem from her lest the transformation be permanent, I would not like to travel with a Karal looking she-cat although her looks were very much improved by Karal´s skin tone. Here the gnome was less than helpful jumping on top of me while screaming in my ears that we had to make her take the gem off. Strange enough Sukeva did not help me much. I wonder why?, perhaps he is afraid to touch Syral.

Pity that there was not much loot inside the tower, a few wizard books and some gold. I never get what I need. We should stop chasing magic users or I will not get a new armor in a lifetime. And now we need to find a way to get Karal from there so he can reincarnate like he was always saying. Will he turn into a she this time or Devas never change sex? I will ask Sukeva what he thinks.